The business behind the show

[UPDATED] Walt Disney studio chief Dick Cook resigns

Walt Disney Co. studio chief Dick Cook, whose studio has come under intense scrutiny for the quality of its films, held a staff meeting today to say that he was resigning.

He told staff that he felt he was a square peg in a round hole.

"I am stepping down from my role as chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, effective immediately. I have loved every minute of my 38 years that I have worked at Disney … from the beginning as a ride operator on Disneyland’s steam train and monorail to my position as chairman of the Walt Disney Studios. To wrap up my Disney experience in a neatly bundled statement is close to impossible," Cook said in a statement. "But what I will say is, during my time at the Studio, we have achieved many industry and company milestones. Our talent roster is simply the best in the business. I believe our slate of upcoming motion pictures is the best in our history. But most of all, I love the people, my colleagues, my teammates, who are the most talented, dedicated and loyal folks in the world. I know that I leave the studio in their exceptional hands. I have been contemplating this for some time now and feel it’s the right time for me to move on to new adventures … and in the words of one of my baseball heroes, Yogi Berra, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”